Dear Jeffrey,
First off, that you for choosing an NFC blank - we appreciate the business.
Our manufacturing technique of the Iconoglass blanks is a little bit different from most manufacturers. Gary's mantra is "weight is a deterrent to performance" We add pigment into the resin of the pre-preg to arrive at the color instead of coating the blank post production.
We try to be up front as possible about inclusions/specs in the blanks - that is a byproduct of how they are manufactured. There is no guarantee that a different blank will not have inclusions or specs, and this is why the issue was ruled as a cosmetic issue, and not a defect.
In terms of shipping - we charge $35, and here is what that is comprised of:
Shipping from Washington to PA is $24 (Insured for the full retail value of the blank, as we have rod tubes that come back with USPS/FedEx tire tracks on them) Cost of the cardboard tube - $4.50, cost of bubble wrap and packaging materials $1.75, for a grand total of $30.25. The cost to ship the same blank to Hawaii is $58, and to Canada $82 (taxes paid). Since we utilize flat rate shipping, the extra $4 from your shipment goes to subsidize the guys in Hawaii, Canada, Puerto Rico, etc.
Those of you that suggested that we make a profit off of shipping - this is simply not true, we lose money on shipping, at best break even over the course of the year (depending on the mix of orders) I'm attaching a 7 day shipping log (which is really 5 days as we do not ship on weekends)
Our business model is to practice price transparency - this is why we separate the shipping cost from any taxes which show up separate on your invoice.
In terms of our service - the young lady that picked up the phone even shared her personal cell phone number to aid in receiving a better resolution photo, and followed up with the production manager on the specs in the blank - in our view, she handled your query with stellar support.
We don't want you to be unhappy with our blanks - if you are not happy with it, send it back to us and we will get you promptly refunded.
We love the glass community, and the rod-building community and are thankful for your business. If you have any questions feel free to email us.
Finally, to add some "human-ness" to the brand - We are attaching a picture of our team, taken a few weeks ago for Gary's 80th birthday. These are the folks that are responsible for manufacturing, packaging, support.
Take care,
North Fork Composites.